1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel container used with a fuel cell, a method for supplying fuel to a fuel cell, a method for filling the fuel container with fuel, and a fuel cell system, and particularly relates to a fuel cell system applicable to portable devices and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, with fuel storage devices and chemical reactors making up fuel cells, a fuel cell unit (modular unit) is formed with a fuel cell integrally combined with the surrounding electric equipment, mounting members, etc., such that the fuel cell unit as a whole is assembled into the apparatus.
Also, a proposal has been made to include a controller in the fuel cell unit for controlling the fuel cell unit. The fuel cell controller is equipped with memory, and stores the temperature, voltage, electric current state, cell capacity, and other like information of the fuel cell unit, in the memory. As of recent, realization of applying fuel cells as the power source for portable devices, such as cameras, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), cellular telephones, for example, is imminent.
However, while carrying an extra power source for a portable device as a spare is quite conceivable, in the case of using a fuel cell for the power source of portable devices, carrying an integral module which is inseparable from the related equipment as a spare power source as described above is impractical from the perspective of portability.
Also, conventional arrangements do not enable management information of the fuel cell itself to be obtained or monitored.